The present invention relates to a power inlet box, which is typically mounted to the exterior of a building and which provides an inlet for the supply of electrical power from an auxiliary power source such as a generator, and more particularly, pertains to a power inlet box equipped with an protective lid to prevent outside elements from entering the power inlet.
In an auxiliary power supply system, a remote power generator is interconnected with a power inlet box, which is typically mounted to the exterior of a building or dwelling. The power inlet box is, in turn, typically interconnected with a transfer switching arrangement, which is connected to the main electrical panel or load center of the building. A cord is interconnected with the power outlet of the generator and with a power inlet receptacle or socket associated with the power inlet box for providing power from the generator through the power inlet box to the transfer panel, and ultimately to the main electrical panel in order to supply power to certain circuits of the building in the event of a power outage or the like.
Prior art power inlet boxes generally include a base member adapted to be mounted to a wall of the building, and a cover member or assembly that is movably interconnected with the base member. The base member defines an internal cavity, and the cover member is configured to enclose the internal cavity. The power inlet includes an access cover, which is pivotable between a closed position in which the access cover prevents access to the power receptacle socket structure, and an open position providing access to the power receptacle socket structure. Other prior art power inlet boxes having a base member and a cover assembly are known wherein a power inlet is mounted to a bottom wall of the cover assembly such that the inlet is openly accessible from beneath the power inlet box.
With such conventional power inlet boxes, moisture and dirt may easily enter the power inlet box through the many air gaps and openings provided between the base member and the cover.
In order to prevent ingress of moisture, dirt and other contaminants, which may damage the electrical components, the current state-of-the art for power inlet boxes involves a generally circular spring-loaded lid that closes against a generally circular base element, into which a flanged socket-type inlet is installed. In order to protect the flanged inlet and the interior of the enclosure into which the flanged inlet is installed from the outside elements, current units have utilized gaskets to provide a weatherproof seal. Gaskets are typically made from a resilient material, e.g., neoprene rubber, which is able to deform and tightly fill any space irregularities. However, gaskets are expensive, difficult to install, and are prone to failure from loss of compliance over time due to compression set, temperature aging, tearing, adhesion to the cover, and a host of other issues.
The present invention seeks to improve upon such prior art by providing a gasketless assembly for a power inlet protection lid, while still providing the weatherproofing feature desired.